Voting in North Carolina

Voting Reminders

The deadline to register to vote in North Carolina is 25 days before the day of the election. Registration forms must be received by your county board of elections office 25 days before the election, or postmarked by that deadline. Agency and DMV voter registration transactions that are completed by that deadline are also accepted as valid for the upcoming election. Your County Board of Elections will notify you of your precinct and polling place.

Voter ID?

Based on the most current information available per state statute and legal precedent, North Carolina voters will be not be required to show photo identification in order to cast a ballot in the 2016 general election.

However, if you are a first time voterin the state or county, you may need to show identification if you did not provide an identifying number on your voter registration form, or that number could not be verified. In this case, you would need to show a current photo ID (with or without an address) or a document with your name and current address (current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document).

There are different ID rules for mail-in absentee ballots or at curbside voting.

For more information about how to obtain a free photo ID from the Division of Motor Vehicles, click here. If you need help finding a ride to obtain a free photo ID from the DMV, click here.

How can I vote?

In North Carolina, you can

Voter Early in Person at a One-Stop Early Vote site,

Vote by Mail, or

Vote on Election Day.

Where do I vote?

On Election Day, you must vote in your home precinct, where you are registered. If you vote in the wrong precinct on Election Day, you may request a provisional ballot. All polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

During Early One-Stop Absentee voting, you may vote at any One-Stop location in the county where you are registered. One-Stop Absentee voting starts on the third Thursday before the election and ends at 1:00 p.m. on the last Saturday before the election. For the 2016 general election, early voting begins on October 20 and ends on November 5. Locations and hours will vary, so check with your County Board of Elections.

North Carolina provides curbside voting to those who have difficulty going inside due to age or a physical disability.

What if I moved recently?

If you registered to vote, but have moved since then, you will need to update your registration address if you are in the same county, or register again if you are in a different county. If you moved within the same county, the most convenient and reliable way to vote is to vote early at a One-Stop Absentee voting site, and update your address then.

If you moved less than 30 days prior to the election, you will still vote in your prior polling place, even if you moved to a different county. If you moved more than 30 days before the election, you must update your registration (if you are in the same county) , or register as a new voter (if you are in a different county) 25 days prior to the election.